


who needs mistletoe

by mssjynx



Series: 2016 dec. requests [2]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 09:55:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13164507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mssjynx/pseuds/mssjynx
Summary: prompt: “this is my first christmas away from my family and i’m really bummed out about it but you refuse to let me be sad”it's craig's first christmas away from his family and tyler refuses to let him spend christmas eve and christmas morning alone and sad. he takes it upon himself to indulge the man in his limited festivities and as much happiness as he can





	who needs mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> minicat fic - [ fluff request ]  
> warnings: cursing, kisses  
> 4370 words  
> \- @firstaidquarters request -  
> ..  
> chinxino5.tumblr.com

“Hey dude, you alright?” Tyler broke his dramatic story when he realised Craig hadn’t been listening for several minutes. The young man was staring at his coffee cup with a very vague, distant look in his eyes. When he didn’t respond, Tyler reached across the table and tapped his arm with two fingers. Those distracted eyes blinked up at him and his frown deepened. “You keep zoning out on me, what’s bothering you?”

Craig could pull a fake smile easy, brushing off other people’s concerns and reassuring them that whatever they were worried about was not a problem. But sitting across from his best friend, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead he just grimaced and shrugged, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden beneath the icy blue gaze.

“It’s no big deal,” he admitted and Tyler stayed silent, knowing better than to interrupt. “It’s quite silly really, you’ll probably laugh at me.” He breathed a small laugh that was not at all dismissing or relaxing. It grated on gravel and Tyler felt his worry increase.

He shook his head, drawing Craig’s attention to him rather than the stained table. “Don’t be stupid, I won’t laugh; whatever it is is obviously a big deal to you.” He stayed sitting tall and sipping his drink, making it seem like his comments were casual and meaningless to his friend, but Craig smiled softly at the concern that dripped from his pale blue eyes. The words, “I care about you,” may not directly drop from his friend’s tongue but he knew that’s what he meant beneath his inquiring and that alone was enough to calm his buzzing anxiety.

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to look at Tyler when he mumbled, “It’s my first Christmas without my family.” Saying the words aloud sounded ridiculous and he felt like a teenager despite being twenty-one.

Tyler’s brows rose, the explanation not one he’d expected. Though despite Craig’s assumptions, he didn’t laugh or roll his eyes or belittle his words at all. When the shorter man looked up, he saw worry, sympathy and determination flit through pale blue eyes. Tyler focused his decided gaze on his friend. “You’re staying at mine tomorrow night.”

Craig stared, slowly connecting the dots. He knew Tyler wasn’t a huge Christmas fan; he’d give shit to Craig all the time about how much of a child he was when it came to the holiday. With his family, they’d do up the massive tree and have all the relatives in the country over for dinner. The mess of little cousins and teens and uncles and aunts he didn’t even know he had was always hectic and brought a few broken dishes and a lot of four year old tears but it was always a day of joy and excitement and _family_.

Thinking about it again had Craig’s eyes watering and he shook the thoughts off. “No, no, it’s fine honestly. The peace and quiet will be a nice change.” The joke fell short and Tyler’s frown didn’t falter.

“Craig, how long have we been friends?”

The younger man dropped his head. “Four years…” he answered.

“Four years ago, I came to the conclusion that you were fucking shit at lying,” he said, taking another sip and sitting back. “You haven’t changed a bit. Now quit bitching, I’ve made up my mind. You can bring your stupid Christmas CD and your dumbass sweater and we can watch whatever Christmas movie you usually watch with your family.”

A lump formed in Craig’s throat as he just stared at the man in front of him. Tyler never liked Christmas that much, his family not caring for festivities. His parents preferred to spend Christmas Eve fighting rather than singing and dancing like Craig’s did.

He tried his hardest to avoid as much Christmas bullshit as he could and the fact that he’d give that up to make sure Craig wasn’t alone…

Tyler’s eyes widened in alarm as the awe-filled eyes became tear-filled too. A tear escaped dropped down his left cheek before Craig was ducking his head and hastily wiping the water from his face. Worry slammed Tyler. “I… Fuck, I’m sorry, did I say something wrong? You don’t have to come over, that was a dumb idea, I-“

“Please can I stay with you?” Craig asked, looking up between his fingers as he covered his red face. His voice was soft and weak and Tyler saw just how sad he was about spending the few days alone.

His panic dissolved into understanding and he nodded, managing a soft smile. His “cool guy” composure vanished, no longer caring for how he looked. His care for his friend was far more important. Craig needed his company and he was going to do what he could to make sure the other had just as amazing a Christmas as he usually would.

 

-

 

Craig doubted himself as he stood outside Tyler’s apartment, bag under his arm with a few things he bought for the night. The sun had set on his drive over and when he managed to knock on the door, Tyler opened it in seconds. The taller was looking rather chill, but upon scanning Craig in his ugly Christmas sweater with an armful of stuff, he couldn’t help but grin.

“Get in here, you idiot, how much shit did you bring?” he asked, holding the door open and stepping back. The brit shuffled in, finding his way to the small living room and dropping his stuff on the couch. Tyler peered over the top of him, curious about the bag only to be shooed back when Craig turned around. “What is it?” he asked, allowing himself to be ushered back into the kitchen area.

The room smelt of cooking and home and Craig felt his heart swell at the idea of having someone to eat with. “I’ll show you later,” he dismissed, taking a seat at the bench and resting his chin on his hands. “What’s cooking?”

Tyler shrugged. “I tried my hand at spaghetti. It’s not very Christmas-y but it’s…” He seemed at a loss for words, unsure how to make his cooking seem appetising. Christmas had a feel to it. A theme, a style. Spaghetti wasn’t a Christmas meal but Tyler didn’t know how to cook much else. He hadn’t wanted to try something totally knew, ruin it and have nothing to present to his overly-enthusiastic friend. But spaghetti?

Instead of disappointment, Craig looked up to him with nothing less than adoration and gratitude. “It’s perfect,” the brit said, eyes following the taller man as he stirred the pot and tipped the pasta into a strainer. He looked around the room, breathing in the aroma and letting it surround him.

Tyler served up two plates, sitting across from Craig. The way Craig looked at him had his cheeks flushing pink and eyes falling to his food.

“Thank you for this.” The spaghetti was delicious, Craig smiling through the meal. Yes, it wasn’t the most festive of meals, but it spread warmth through his body and smelt simply amazing. He couldn’t have asked for more.

“You don’t need to thank me, I wouldn’t want you to be alone.”

“Well now neither of us are alone.”

Tyler’s eyes looked impossibly pretty and the smile on his face set flames under Craig’s fingertips. A calm sort of silence settled throughout the room as the two ate, Tyler trying not to stare at his friend’s content face. He was calm and happy and the taller man felt reluctance pull him back.

Finding his friend pretty wasn’t right. Guilt came with the curiosity that settled in his thoughts, wondering how soft those lips were, wondering what Craig would do if he were to lean across the bench and press their lips together… He blinked the thoughts out of his head as Craig stood, empty bowl in hand. The brit reached across the bench and took Tyler’s also, dumping both carelessly in the sink.

They could be washed later.

“Come on, let’s go put your shitty Christmas music on.” Tyler stretched his hands up above his head when he stood, feeling warm with the meal in his stomach. He rolled his eyes as Craig pulled out a bottle of fizzy drink. He poured too glasses of the sugar-saturated beverage and Tyler wondered why he even had the shit in his fridge. “Beer?” he asked hopefully and Craig shook his head with a grin that made something unwelcome flutter around in Tyler’s stomach.

He shook it away, took a sip of the drink and followed Craig into the living room. He pulled a radio player down from the shelf, wiping the dust off it and placing it down on the coffee table for Craig to fiddle with. Music floated from the hunk of metal after a few minutes as Tyler wandered to the collection of chords and devices beside his TV.

He felt curious eyes follow him when he flicked off the lights in the room, allowing a soft glow from the kitchen to be the only thing that gave them vision. “Tyler…” Craig whispered his name with awe as he flipped a power board on and filled the room with a dim, colourful light. Mariah Carey wafted along with it and Tyler blushed slightly at the cheesy choice of music.

Craig met his eyes with undetermined emotion. Something along the lines of shock that formed an ‘o’ with his lips and he found himself worried, scratching the back of his neck as he looked around at the glimmering Christmas lights that lines the top of the room’s walls. They bounced colour off Craig’s face and he couldn’t avoid the man’s stare.

“D-did I do too much?” he asked, uncomfortable at just how shy he felt under his friend’s watch.

Craig’s grin was bright enough for the whole house and he stood from where he’d been kneeling in front of the radio player. Tyler met him halfway, dragging his toes across the carpet. He had no idea what to do but was content being entranced by the brit’s smile. “I love it,” Craig whispered, eyes sparkling brighter than the coloured lights. “Thank you so much. For all of this.” His eyes strayed from Tyler’s face just barely as he nodded at the room around them.

The music moved between them, a song Tyler would claim to hate having heard it in the shopping centre, on the radio, on TV; absolutely everywhere. This was different, though he wouldn’t admit it. He felt a warmth flush him as it pushed him to take another step closer.

Cautious fingers found his, no haste or rush in movements. Craig looked down as he carefully curled his fingers around Tyler’s. The taller man didn’t resist at all as his hands were pulled forwards, finger tips lightly resting on Craig’s waist. “Is, uh, is this okay?” he asked, not wanting to disturb the silence around them.

Instead of answering, he let his hands settle comfortably at the other man’s waist, easing them both closer again. Craig’s eyes didn’t shift from his face as his hands slipped up Tyler’s arms. They linked over his shoulders, the two closer than they’d ever been.

“I don’t know how to dance,” Tyler murmured, Craig taking a small step back and leading him to follow. His blue eyes were soft and uncertain, watching his feet closely to try match the brit’s movements. He was scared to accidently step on his foot or trip over his own feet and ruin everything.

Craig breathed a laugh, everything about him soft and warm. His skin under Tyler’s fingers, his arms over his shoulders, his comfortable gaze. His fingertips when they ran along his jaw to bring his eyes back up. “Don’t think about it.” He lost himself in the hazel eyes, trying to pick out what colour they were, trying to give them a name or a label. He came up with nothing other than “beautiful” and found it impossible to look anywhere else.

Thoughtlessly, _instinctively_ , he reached a hand up to grab one of Craig’s, pulling it up above his head and pushing his hip softly. He smiled, taking the hint and doing a small spin beneath his arm. When he came back to Tyler, the older man flinched as he stumbled, stepping on his partner’s foot. “Sorry,” he mumbled, embarrassed and apologetic.

Craig’s smile never faltered and they continued to sway slowly around the room, Craig’s warm fingers playing with the hair at the back of Tyler’s neck. He shook his head just slightly to brush off the apology, happier than ever on that Christmas Eve dancing with Tyler under the glow of Christmas lights. Tyler’s face had never looked pretty with colour dancing across his cheeks and his hands sliding to rest on Craig’s back beneath his sweater.

His arm was lifted again, feet twisting slowly in a spin before Tyler was pulling him close and curling an arm around his lower back. “Trust me?” he whispered and Craig didn’t even have to think about it as they twisted. He was lowered slightly, arms still loosely linked behind Tyler’s neck. One hand slid down to rest on his chest as the music came to a slow end and the moment came to a rest.

“All I want for Christmas…” Tyler uttered the last line of the song under his breath, his words falling to Craig’s cheek with nothing less than love. For once, Tyler could pull his gaze from Craig’s, his pale eyes instead flickering down to focus on his lips. “Is you.”

Craig’s heart was beating out of his chest, filled to the brim with adoration for the man holding him. The song finished and silence held them together closely, Tyler’s lashes flickering and Craig’s lungs frozen with parted lips. Fear and excitement surged through him and he exhaled softly. “Is there mistletoe?” he whispered, struggling to tear his own eyes away from Tyler’s lips.

They twitched into a whisper of a smile, tongue flicking out to wet them. “No, I just really want to kiss you,” he murmured and Craig hung onto the last few seconds of space between them before Tyler was closing the distance and pressing their lips together.

It was magical. Craig vowed never to roll his eyes at dramatic romance clichés ever again as he buried his fingertips in short hair. He tilted his head slightly, stretching up to kiss back with all the love and warmth he could muster. The evening closed in around them, freezing them in a moment that could never be forgotten. A moment where their hearts synced and nerves burned.

When the eternity ended and the kiss fell away between them, Tyler eased them both upright but didn’t remove his arms from where they sat, curled around the brit’s lower back. His forehead came to rest against Craig’s, the man’s soft eyes still rested shut as he breathed in and out deeply. He didn’t seem to have the strength to open them again and Tyler knew he didn’t need to, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, feeling out of breath and high above reality.

Craig’s eyes blinked open, raw love and awe shining. He dropped his hand from Tyler’s cheek to his shoulder to stable himself. “What for?” he asked, voice lighter than his breathing as another Christmas song started up behind them.

Tyler smiled, eyes flickering back and forth over Craig’s face. He couldn’t get enough of the other man, couldn’t say just how much he loved him, just how much he loved everything about him. “I’m not sure.”

Craig’s eyes crinkled with his laugh, his head falling to Tyler’s shoulder as his laughter spilt from his lips. Giddy giggling that floated on the music around them. Tyler curled his arms around him tighter and pulled them flush together in a hug. Craig seemed to have been sapped for energy, completely reliant in Tyler’s arms as he dropped a light kiss to his neck and the taller man eased the both of them back to the couch.

They fell down together, Craig’s legs across Tyler’s lap. He wouldn’t have been able to move away if he tried with the strong arm curled around his back stubbornly. Tyler didn’t seem keen to let him go anytime soon and as another kiss was placed to his cheek, Craig knew he wouldn’t want to anyway.

Neither found the need to speak as they put some Christmas movie on the TV and drowned in their evening. The lights washed over them for the hours they cuddled, Tyler getting up at one stage to bring a fluffy blanket back for the both of them. The moment he sat back down he replaced his arms around Craig and pulled the man snug to his side. Craig couldn’t remove the grin from his face all night, as Tyler occasionally kissed at his cheek, temple or knuckles. He just let his head rest on his shoulder and tried to stay awake.

By the time the movie was finished, Craig was ready to fall on his face and leant heavy against Tyler when they stood to go to their beds. At Tyler’s bedroom door he hesitated. “I was planning for you to stay in the guest bedroom but…” he trailed off, unsure how to _invite_ Craig to stay with him for the night without sounding demanding or weird.

He knew it could be a bit much, not sure how the other was thinking about things. All he knew was that he loved the feel of Craig’s fingertips and lips and could never get enough of the heat by his side.

As it had the entire evening, Craig’s smile remained soft and happy and he nodded at the man. “I don’t want to sleep alone,” he admitted, a statement that told enough for Tyler to assume. He didn’t wait for the taller to respond or ask questions or anything before he was walking into the room with their linked fingers behind him. He crawled into the bed himself, comfortable clothes no issue when it came to sleeping as Tyler got in beside him.

Just as Craig had hoped, arms were fitted around him waist and he was pulled across beneath the blankets to Tyler’s side. He shifted around, facing away and sighing happily as Tyler curled around him and hugged him back to his chest. A kiss was laid to the back of his neck and he hummed happily, hands resting over Tyler’s as he tucked his head down.

“Goodnight Craig,” Tyler murmured, lips brushing against his shoulder.

“Thank you Tyler, goodnight,” he whispered back, smile painted to his face as they both drifted off together.

 

-

 

Christmas morning came with Craig sitting on top of Tyler and shaking him by the shoulders. “Tyler! Ty-Ty, you gotta get up!” he hissed, excitement bubbling out into his words. “It’s Christmas, dude! Get up!”

The American grunted, reaching a heavy arm up to loop around Craig and pull him down onto the mattress. “Go the fuck to sleep, it’s too early for Christmas,” he slurred, eyes still stubbornly shut.

Craig huffed, hands pushing against Tyler’s chest in an attempt to wriggle away. The arm wrapped around him held him down and his wiggling was useless. “Let me go,” he grunted, Tyler’s leg linking over the top of his to reduce his movement.

“No.” He was pulled tightly to the other’s side, squeaking as the older man tucked his face into his neck and breathed out deeply.

“Tyler, it’s eight a.m.! It’s so late already; we have to go open presents,” he whined, pulling at the brown hair and flushing red as Tyler pressed his lips to his throat.

“Christmas doesn’t start until nine, now shut the fuck up or I’ll kick you out,” he huffed, his breath washing over Craig’s neck and dragging a shiver down his spine. He tried not to shudder, accepting his fate and wrapping his arms around the man. Tyler relaxed, splayed across him and fell back asleep.

Craig played with his hair happily, feeling his heartbeat against his ribs as he breathed in the Christmas morning. It was cool in the house, making the bed ever-more comfortable and warm.

The brit drifted in and out of consciousness until the man on top of him stirred and blew warm air across his skin. He’d shed his thick sweater when he’d gotten up earlier to go to the bathroom and his thin undershirt did nothing to help the goosebumps that raised on his flesh.

“Are you gonna get up now?” he asked as the other wriggled around slightly. His only response was an unenthusiastic grunt and he giggled. “Come on,” he sung. “It’s Christmas. I wanna eat and go open presents.”

“What presents?” Tyler grumbled, warm hands sliding up Craig’s back.

Craig smiled into the fluffy hair. “I brought something for you.”

A moment of panic slammed Tyler who pushed himself up off Craig with wide worried eyes. “I didn’t get shit for you though!” he exclaimed, guilt dripping from his features. “You weren’t supposed to get me presents, you fuckboy.”

“My present was having someone to stay with,” he said and just smiled as Tyler studied his face for a moment.

“Would you be opposed to being kissed right now?”

Craig’s head tipped back with his laughter and he softened at the lips that brushed at his jaw. “Not really, only that I haven’t brushed my-“

His words were cut off as lips covered his, Tyler hovering above him and leisurely kissing him. A whine of complaint emitted from Craig’s throat but his hands only pulled Tyler closer. When he fell back against the mattress, he shoved Tyler off.

“Now get up, you lazy piece of shit.”

Tyler was greeted in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and Christmas songs playing from the living room. Neither had the effort to cook anything like pancakes or waffles and instead just snacked on a bowl of cereal each. Very little conversation was shared as they woke themselves up slowly.

When the dishes were dumped in the sink, Craig was eagerly dragging a now-awake Tyler into the living room as he complained that he didn’t want the presents.

“Just shut up and sit down. Humour me at least, it’s not like a spent a shit-ton on you or anything.” At Craig’s command, he fell into silence (but not without rolling his eyes first) and eyed the presents sceptically.

Craig watched him like an excited child as he picked up the wider gift. After a nasty glare to the brit, he tore through the packaging and huffed a laugh. The sweater was big and soft and it took the man a few extra seconds to realise that the little patterns depicted reindeer humping each other, among other patterns like snowflakes and little pine trees. Craig’s smile was too big and Tyler couldn’t hold his disapproving face. A laugh pushed its way up from his lungs and Craig giggled along with him.

“I assumed you didn’t have one so I thought I’d get you one you can wear each year,” he explained, his grin never dropping. He nodded at the item of clothing. “Put it on,” he urged.

Though he rolled his eyes, Tyler found this stupid sweater a rather sweet gift (despite the immaturity of it, and slid it over his undershirt happily. It fit perfectly and he refused to admit he loved it. Before he could say anything at all, his other present was pushed into his hands. He didn’t waste his time, opening it and exposing a little CD case. The Christmas album’s snowy cover smiled up at him and he looked to his best friend curiously.

Craig nodded at it, waiting patiently. He turned the case over and read the little sticky note attached to it.

**Thank you for not letting me be alone. Now you can have Christmas spirit without me next year, and the year after that, and the year after that! Merry Christmas.**

“Yeah, it’s pretty stupid but it’ll give you something to do every Christmas Eve if I’m not here.” He shrugged, almost bashful about the gift. “It’s not much at all. I know you don’t celebrate heaps.”

Tyler held out a hand to the other, pulling him towards him when their fingers linked. He pressed a kiss to the other man’s forehead. “Thank you Craig, I’ll get you something when I go out next.”

“Don’t,” Craig assured him. “Please. You’ve given me more than enough.”

“I… Are you sure?”

Craig just grinned, eyes sparkling as he pressed his lips to Tyler’s. He was really starting to love the warm tingle that spread across his chest each time they kissed. When he pulled back, Tyler swayed after him, blue eyes narrowed and dazed. Craig bit his lip. _Fuck it,_ he thought. “If you do more of that, I’ll be more than happy,” he said bluntly, his forwardness scaring him and sparking his nerves like crazy as Tyler stared up at him.

A moment of silence filled the space between them but before Craig could begin to freak out that he’d said something very wrong, Tyler was pulling him by the hips until he was sitting on his lap with a red face and nervous smile.

“Are you asking me to ask you to be my boyfriend, Craig?”

“Do you want to ask me to be your boyfriend?”

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?”

“Of-fucking-course I do.”

So maybe Craig’s first Christmas without his family wasn’t the most festive or the loudest. It didn’t have screaming children or mountains of food or hours of present-opening. But it did have Mariah Carey, they definitely watched The Grinch and ugly festive sweaters were certainly worn.

And out of everything, Craig could definitely get used to those kisses.

Next family Christmas he’d be bringing his boyfriend with him, in matching ugly sweaters, and waking him up in the early hours of the morning with teasing kisses and promises of cuddling later. Yes. It was definitely a happy Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what ya think! this is 2 of 12 request fics i have completed.  
> feedback always appreciated.  
> <3


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